Loader forks



Jam. W, 1956 G. W. HARRISON 2,730,250

LOADER FORKS Filed Feb. 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invemor (Ml/V55 w HARRISON y M gfiiziwh Attorneys Jan. 10, 1956 G. w. HARRISON LOADER FORKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1952 Invemor GAINES W. HARRISON 1 WW Afgxmm United States Patent 2,730,250 LGA DER'FUR KS Gaines W. Harrison, Golumbia, S. C. Application February '13, 1952, Serial No. 271,350

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-131 This invention relates to loaders and more particularly to loader frames adapted to be used .for lifting pulp wood and other material or articles.

An object of this invention is to provide a simply "constructed frame or fork which is suitable for use with veadapted to pick up various types of articles.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a loader which is suitable for use in loading pulp wood or other similar material which cannot be easily conveyed in buckets.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a loader which can be operated by hydaulic mechanism mounted on tractors or other vehicles.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated the use of the invention with two different types of tractors:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the loader frame.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevational view of the frame of Fig. 1, and,

Figure 3 is a view showing use of a fork constructed in accordance with the invention with one type of tractor and Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing use of the fork with another type of tractor.

Similar reference characters represent similar parts in the several figures.

During recent years tractor and other vehicle mounted loaders have come into widespead use and have to a certain extent replaced the commonly known steam These loaders generally employ buckets for performing their lifting operations. Some type of forks have been developed to lift logs and similar material. The device described hereinafter, however, represents a great improvement in a lifting fork for such material. It will be seen from the following that my fork embodies desir able features not previously known in the art.

Referring now in particular to the drawing, the fork comprises spaced parallel vertical side bars and 11. At the upper end the bars have forwardly and upwardly extending converging arms 12 and 13 respectively. The arms are joined at their upper ends by means of a bifurcated support element 14. The two legs 15 and 16 of eletional chains 23 and 24, which will be further described, depend from the spreader. Chains 23 and 24 are supported at both ends. The two ends of each chain are shown in their supported position. Each chain forms a loop which can be passed under a load such as a load of cord wood.

Brace 25 extends between bars 10 and 11. At their lower ends bars 10 and 11 flare rearwardly as at 26. Two pivot pins 27 and 28 are provided on each flared 2 portion for attachment to arm 29 and 30 which form part of the linka'ge of a vehicle mounted loader mechanism eaaptea to raise and lower the fork.

An additional pivot means 31 is mounted on each bar for ,pivotally mounting a lifting base comprising two legs "32 and 33, and stippjertplates t. Each leg is provided with upstanding forked eIeme'nts'SS which removably receive brace elements 36. The b'raee elements are also removably connected to arms 10 and 11 by removable means 37. Nuts and belts or other suitable means may be employed to removably secure the braces. The chains are attached at each of their ends :and extend downwardly in a loop to approximately the horizontal position of the "lifting base. I

The leader mechanism to be used with the fork should be "capable of giving a tilting "forward movement in any frame 42. Two hydraulic cylinders 43 are pivotally connected to the arms 38 at 44. The piston rods 45 of these cylinders take the place of the arms 29 shown in Figures 1 and 2 and are pivotally connected to the side bars 10 and 11, respectively. It is seen that by actuation of the pistons in cylinders 40 the arms 38 can be raised and lowered, and that by actuation of the cylinders 43 and piston rods 45, the fork can be tilted on its pivotal connection with the arms 38.

The loader fork is simply shoved underneath a load, such as pulp wood, when such load is suitably stacked and stacked properly, for such an operation, the lifting base may be pivoted upwardly as indicated in Figure 2, by re moving the braces 36. When the legs are parallel with the bars, apertures 46 and 47 will be aligned and any convenient means may be inserted to lock the legs in such position. With the base thus out of the way, load chains 23 and 24 may each be passed under one end of the load. The load can thus be lifted by the chains. The chains may obviously be broken and provided with Figure 4 shows the loader mechanism of Fig. 1 mounted on tractor 60. The latter comprises a pivotally mounted frame 62 having hydraulic motors 64 for rais ing frame 62. Pivotally mounted front brackets 66 are pivotally mounted on the forward end of frame 62 and and pivotally mounted hydraulic motors 72 connect to the A pair of forward brackets 74 are fixed to frame 62. Arms 30 are pivotally connected to the latter brackets. Hydraulic motors 76 are pivotally connected to the upper end of arms 30 and to links 78. Links 78 are pivoted on brackets 80 attached to frame 62. Arms 29 are pivotally connected to the upper end of brackets 66.

By moving the pistons of motors 72 and 76 fork 10 is moved outwardly and upwardly of the tractor yet maintains a substantially vertical position. The vertical position of the fork is also adjustable through movement of frame 62 by motor 64.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have devised a lifting frame which provides a convenient means for lifting bulk material not easily handled by 3 t conventional buckets or similar means. It is also apparent that the described frame can be readily adapted to meet various loading problems apt to be encountered.

While I have shown and described a preferred modification of my invention, it is obvious that changes in details of form may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lifting device comprising a frame formed by two parallel extending side bars, each of said bars having arms, each arm extending toward and joining the other arm, said arms extending laterally of saidv bars, pivot means mounted on sai bars, the pivot means on one of said bars being aligned with the pivot means on the other of said bars, a lifting base pivotably mounted on said pivot means, said base comprising spaced parallel legs, a support plate interconnecting said legs, braces removably connected to each of said legs, each brace being connected to one of said bars, pivot means mounted on said bars for pivotally connecting said frame to a lifting device, a bifurcated projecting member connected to the juncture of said arms, a link pivotally mounted on said bifurcated member, said link having means for receiving chains for use in lifting a load with said device, means forming an opening in each of said legs and each of said bars, the opening in each leg being alignable with the opening in one of said bars upon pivoted movement of said legs toward said bars so as to receive means for retaining said legs in a locked position with respect to said bars upon disconnection of said braces from said legs.

2. A device as in claim 1 having load chains suspended from said link, said chains being suspended at each of their ends and extending downwardly lifting base.

to adjacent said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Le Tourneau Mar. 11, 1952 

